Who will contribute to People's Map?

Whenever you create something you, whether you want it or not, automatically own the copyright in what you have created. Therefore if you digitise something into the People's Map you own the copyright. In order for us to be able to use your contribution without infringing your copyright it is a legal necessity that you explicitly transfer ownership of your copyright to the People's Map. Exactly the same thing happens at Open Street Map, for example. We have stated that private use of any PM data will always be free and completely unrestricted so in no way does this stop you using your contribution. Indeed it means you may use everybody else's contributions as well. There will shortly be a facility for you to request and download the data e.g. as Shape files or MapInfo tab files, for example.When we say you will have no rights over your contributions, what we mean is that once given the data can not, for example, be taken back. Nor can you say you have changed your mind and you now want a fee. I do not believe there is any intention to say that you could not retain a copy of your contributions, for example if you emailed us a shape file. If you use our editor this would be more difficult as it is not envisaged that you could download only your contributions without getting all other contributions in the same area (over which you would clearly not have any rights to e.g. sell them).It is a misunderstanding to think that the contributors won't be able to use the PM data without paying us. I have indicated above that they can use it for almost anything so long as it is not a commercial use. If they do want to use it commercially then in most cases our 'fair and simple' terms mean a single modest payment for perpetual use of the data. For example £495 would allow a commercial organisation unlimited internal perpetual use of the Overview data extract in vector GIS form. No annual fees, no need to count the number of plots, no need to count how many terminals, etc. I think that is both simple and fair when you consider the other arrangements in the market.In addition, there are possibilities to associate your own data with the People's Map without ownership transferring to the People's Map. This could be in the form of Mashups and GeoRSS feeds, or as extra layers added to a map on a private web site. We can also provide the PM as a WMS service, so for example in MapInfo you could use it as a background and do your digitising over the top and keep exclusive use of your data. Nobody else would have any access to it or even see it. This route will quite possibly be taken by many commercial and government users.A Javascript API is posted on the web site to allow people to easily add the People's Map to their web sites. However, the data will be available for commercial use too at an affordable, one-off, price. All of the revenue made from the People's Map will be fed directly back into the Project in the initial stages. One third of any profit, with an annual minimum of £10,000, is also to be divided amongst the contributors based on how many points they accumulate in the year. The revenue will allow for e.g. greater server power, checking & validation of the maps by professional cartographers, software developments, more data, and of course the modest incentive payment to the contributors. This actually makes it a three way partnership, one third Getmapping, one third XYZ and one third the contributors.There are a number of reasons for the public to want to use and build-up the People's Map:1. It is free for the vast majority of users (i.e all the private users, the educational sector, partners doing a swap deal).2. The People's Map will be a reliable source of data. Professional cartographers will be regularly checking to make sure that additions made to the map are accurate.3. The aerial imagery covering the UK is detailed, extensive and is constantly being updated, making the digitising process a pleasant and gratifying one.4. Collaborations are being slowly forged with professional cartographers, and we will soon be obtaining extensive and reliable datasets for large areas of the UK.5. An incentive scheme, based on a points system, will soon be implemented, whereby one third of all profits OR £10,000 (whichever is higher) a year will be distributed amongst contributors of the People's Map, based on their relative contributions. Until this is implemented, a record is being kept of edits made, so that contributors can be rewarded once the points system is introduced.